Family physicians may see 7 percent pay increase in 2013; CMS requesting public comment on proposed rule

Prue Salasky

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a proposed rule that would increase payments to family physicians by approximately 7 percent, and other practitioners providing primary care services between 3 and 5 percent.

The increase comes from policies to promote patient-centered care -- for example, paying for the care required to help a patient transition back to the community following discharge from a hospital or nursing facility over a 30-day period.

The proposed rule also asks for public comment on how Medicare can better recognize the range of services that primary care physicians provide in the office and in coordinating care outside the office.

Other issues in the rule include:

A proposal to include additional Medicare-covered preventive services on the list of services that can be provided via an interactive telecommunications system;

A proposal to implement a durable medical equipment face-to-face requirement as a condition of payment for certain high-cost Medicare DME items.

The proposed rule will appear in the July 30, 212 Federal register. CMS will accept comments on it until Sep. 4, 2012. Go to www.federalregister.gov